All Things FREEDOM

I'm taking my first cruise in April with my two daughters (15 & 17:eek:)...on Freedom!

Whoever has fun stories, good insight, suggestions, pictures...whatever...please share with us. Thanks!! We're psyched!!

We are cruising on the Freedom in March (to Cozemel, Costa Rica & Panama). I'll try to remember to come back to your post & tell you what I find.

I'm taking my first cruise in April with my two daughters (15 & 17:eek:)...on Freedom!

Whoever has fun stories, good insight, suggestions, pictures...whatever...please share with us. Thanks!! We're psyched!!

We cruised the Freedom last April and will be sailing again on the Freedom this April school vacation.

All I can tell you is the ship is awesome - we had a ball - and booked it again so our kids could share in this wonderful vacation experience. Not sure what ports you'll be hitting, but we visit Key West, Ocho Rios, and Grand Cayman.

You will have a great time and so will your daughters.

I'm taking my first cruise in April with my two daughters (15 & 17:eek:)...on Freedom!

Whoever has fun stories, good insight, suggestions, pictures...whatever...please share with us. Thanks!! We're psyched!!

Hi we have taken our first cruise this past January 10th on the Liberty which is Freedom's big sister. Both are Conquest class ships so share the same footprint, interior colors and design themes are the only differences.

We will be taking the Freedom on two cruises back to back starting January 30, 2010 and part 2 on February 7, 2010.

One thing I learned after my first cruise are the following:

• pack light - everyone says it and they are right! Even though there is tons of storage in your stateroom, you will really only need your forma wear for formal night(s), swim wear, a few shirts or blouses, etc etc. Thee are published lists - too much I feel though...you will be the best judge after your first cruise.
  
• once you are at the cruise terminal - consider checking your carry-on luggage too. Once on board your room won't be ready and Carnival invites you to go and have a bite to eat. No room at your table for carry-on and for 4 people...believe me!
  
• Grab a beverage of your choice scope out a spot to watch the sail away! Have your camera ready!
  
• Free style dining in the formal dining rooms for breakfast and lunch is far better than the buffets. The lido buffets have good food, but it is really busy with lots of hustle and bustle - if that is ok with you, you may prefer the more casual experience. I am not a morning person so the dining room was quieter and more relaxed.
  

Depending upon your personalities, you may or may not want to study the deck plans of the Freedom on carnival.com. Exploring the ship is fascinating and it is easy to get "lost"! :) For example the Posh the formal dining room aft (rear) can only be accessed by taking the rear most elevators or staircases even though it spans decks 3, and 4. Best way to get there is to take Promenade Deck (5) to the rear (aft) of the ship and take either the stairs or elevator. It won't be a problem if you are assigned the "Chic" Dining Room which is the smaller of the formal rooms and spans decks 3 and 4 but is found in the center of the ship.

And the best piece of advice I have taken to heart and totally agree...is...relax and go with the flow. Carnival has everything down to a science, but if something is wrong or you can't go with the flow, let them know...go to the Guest Services (Pursers desk) and politely let them know what is wrong - they truly try to help.

What you learn this cruise will help you with your next. For example, choosing your category of stateroom and location.

Have fun! :D

I returned last week from the 2/14 8 Day Western Sailing on the Freedom and I was with my two teen DD's - 16 &19

We had a fabulous time!

I am in the middle of writing my review on this thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=935593

The ship was wonderful! I have sailed the Conquest Class before so the layout did not present a problem for me. This is actually my favorite Class of ships! Just keep in mind that the Promenade Deck (Deck 5) is the only interior deck with lounges etc that goes all the way across and you should be fine.

The staff was friendly and we enjoyed the food and the entertainment that we selected to participate in.

I think the lounges and evening entertainment is the only part left for me to finish on the review.

They have a dedicated teen club on the Promenade Deck for ages 15-17. My 16 y.o. never wound up going but it seemed to get a lot of activity and some good stuff going on.

If you go to beyondships dot com you will find a photo tour of the Freedom which is very good!

ENJOY!!

We are cruising on the Freedom in March (to Cozemel, Costa Rica & Panama). I'll try to remember to come back to your post & tell you what I find.

Thank you 4spring09....I appreciate it!! Have a great cruise (especially in Costa Rica...I want to go there!!).

We cruised the Freedom last April and will be sailing again on the Freedom this April school vacation.

 

All I can tell you is the ship is awesome - we had a ball - and booked it again so our kids could share in this wonderful vacation experience. Not sure what ports you'll be hitting, but we visit Key West, Ocho Rios, and Grand Cayman.

 

You will have a great time and so will your daughters.

exactly lgerrish...key west, cayman & ocho rios....are you sailing 4/5/09?

Hi we have taken our first cruise this past January 10th on the Liberty which is Freedom's big sister. Both are Conquest class ships so share the same footprint, interior colors and design themes are the only differences.

 

We will be taking the Freedom on two cruises back to back starting January 30, 2010 and part 2 on February 7, 2010.

 

 

One thing I learned after my first cruise are the following:

• pack light - everyone says it and they are right! Even though there is tons of storage in your stateroom, you will really only need your forma wear for formal night(s), swim wear, a few shirts or blouses, etc etc. Thee are published lists - too much I feel though...you will be the best judge after your first cruise.
  
• once you are at the cruise terminal - consider checking your carry-on luggage too. Once on board your room won't be ready and Carnival invites you to go and have a bite to eat. No room at your table for carry-on and for 4 people...believe me!
  
• Grab a beverage of your choice scope out a spot to watch the sail away! Have your camera ready!
  
• Free style dining in the formal dining rooms for breakfast and lunch is far better than the buffets. The lido buffets have good food, but it is really busy with lots of hustle and bustle - if that is ok with you, you may prefer the more casual experience. I am not a morning person so the dining room was quieter and more relaxed.
  

Depending upon your personalities, you may or may not want to study the deck plans of the Freedom on carnival.com. Exploring the ship is fascinating and it is easy to get "lost"! :) For example the Posh the formal dining room aft (rear) can only be accessed by taking the rear most elevators or staircases even though it spans decks 3, and 4. Best way to get there is to take Promenade Deck (5) to the rear (aft) of the ship and take either the stairs or elevator. It won't be a problem if you are assigned the "Chic" Dining Room which is the smaller of the formal rooms and spans decks 3 and 4 but is found in the center of the ship.

 

And the best piece of advice I have taken to heart and totally agree...is...relax and go with the flow. Carnival has everything down to a science, but if something is wrong or you can't go with the flow, let them know...go to the Guest Services (Pursers desk) and politely let them know what is wrong - they truly try to help.

 

What you learn this cruise will help you with your next. For example, choosing your category of stateroom and location.

 

Have fun! :D

Fredman...unbelievable. Thank you for your insight...I appreciate it more than you know!!:)

I returned last week from the 2/14 8 Day Western Sailing on the Freedom and I was with my two teen DD's - 16 &19

 

We had a fabulous time!

 

I am in the middle of writing my review on this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=935593

 

 

The ship was wonderful! I have sailed the Conquest Class before so the layout did not present a problem for me. This is actually my favorite Class of ships! Just keep in mind that the Promenade Deck (Deck 5) is the only interior deck with lounges etc that goes all the way across and you should be fine.

 

The staff was friendly and we enjoyed the food and the entertainment that we selected to participate in.

 

I think the lounges and evening entertainment is the only part left for me to finish on the review.

 

They have a dedicated teen club on the Promenade Deck for ages 15-17. My 16 y.o. never wound up going but it seemed to get a lot of activity and some good stuff going on.

 

If you go to beyondships dot com you will find a photo tour of the Freedom which is very good!

 

ENJOY!!

Thanks so much Liza....we can't wait for our first cruise.....Something way different than our annual Disney vacation (not that that was terrible;)).

I returned last week from the 2/14 8 Day Western Sailing on the Freedom and I was with my two teen DD's - 16 &19

 

We had a fabulous time!

 

I am in the middle of writing my review on this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=935593

 

 

The ship was wonderful! I have sailed the Conquest Class before so the layout did not present a problem for me. This is actually my favorite Class of ships! Just keep in mind that the Promenade Deck (Deck 5) is the only interior deck with lounges etc that goes all the way across and you should be fine.

 

The staff was friendly and we enjoyed the food and the entertainment that we selected to participate in.

 

I think the lounges and evening entertainment is the only part left for me to finish on the review.

 

They have a dedicated teen club on the Promenade Deck for ages 15-17. My 16 y.o. never wound up going but it seemed to get a lot of activity and some good stuff going on.

 

If you go to beyondships dot com you will find a photo tour of the Freedom which is very good!

 

ENJOY!!

BTW...46 yr old single dad in New Canaan with two teen girls 15 & 17...I was reading your review on the other thread!! Do we know each other?? Thanks again for all your great information!!

Have your kids go to the Club 02 orientation the first evening - it is usually around 8:30. You will be handed a paper as you board, as a Club 02 counselor is standing their "grabbing" families with teens! Since both your girls fall into the club age range of 15-17, , they will be together, which is already a great ice-breaker. While they may not attend many of the club activities, they will meet loads of kids their ages, and will probably end up hanging out with them the whole cruise. Club 02 was great for my dd17. We loved the Freedom - you will, also!

We did transatlantic on her last April, it was great

To: 4SPRING09. If you are cruising the Freedom on the 14th, you have just a few days left to join us on the Roll Call. All are welcome.

exactly lgerrish...key west, cayman & ocho rios....are you sailing 4/5/09?

We are on the 4/19/09 sailing and there will be two 17 yr. old girls in our group. Too bad we are not on the same sailing. I know you will have a great time, as well as your daughters. As pe4all mentioned - have them check out the Club 02. And remember....relax, enjoy, and let Carnival take care of the rest.

LizaMM, I just wanted to say I loved your review. After reading it, we are re-thinking our choice of excursions in Costa Rica. You made the white water rafting sound so awesome, but I really want to see the sloth sanctuary. AARRGGHH!!:p Where in CT are you from? We are from New London. Enjoying this delightful weather? 14 possible inches of snow is just a bit ridiculous. Bet you are wishing you were back on the Freedom!:D

Jbroons, We are so addicted to cruising, we have pretty much given up on Disney. You will love it! See my countdown, and you'll see what I mean!

4spring09, I am beggin you to please come back and post a review! I can't get enough to read about this ship, and since you are doing my itinerary, I really want to read about it! Good luck on your trip!

lgerrish, I am going to ask you to please post a review, even though you are doing the wrong itinerary!;) I need more Freedom reviews to read to get me through this long New England winter. I still have too long to go before my cruise!

BTW...46 yr old single dad in New Canaan with two teen girls 15 & 17...I was reading your review on the other thread!! Do we know each other?? Thanks again for all your great information!!

I live in East Norwalk......so we are very close!! It certainly is possible that we have crossed paths!

LizaMM, I just wanted to say I loved your review. After reading it, we are re-thinking our choice of excursions in Costa Rica. You made the white water rafting sound so awesome, but I really want to see the sloth sanctuary. AARRGGHH!!:p Where in CT are you from? We are from New London. Enjoying this delightful weather? 14 possible inches of snow is just a bit ridiculous. Bet you are wishing you were back on the Freedom!:D

 

Answer to your first question is above.......I just heard about the snow forecast! I have not been paying attention to the weather since I got home because I retuned and my youngest (DS) came down with the flu and was so sick all week! I DO wish I was back on the Freedom BUT I am lucky enough to have the Liberty to look forward to on 4/11!!!! :D

The White Water Rafting was awesome! This was our 2nd time in Costa Rica and last time we did the Train and Pontoon River tour which also included a stop at a Bananna Plantation. That was a very mellow excursion and while we appreciated the sights we wanted something more interactive this time. I would not repeat the first excursion again but would repeat the White Water Rafting if I had a port of call in Costa Rica again.

Glad you both liked the review. I usually do a more "diary", daily type of review but with my son sick I just could not get to it that way. I still have to post about the evening entertainment.

Bottom Line - I thought the Freedom was a great ship and I would absolutely sail her again!!!!

Does anyone know if any Freedom Capers are available for viewing online??

Does anyone know if any Freedom Capers are available for viewing online??

..here from the 6 day, forgot the Owner who Posted it...

..here from the 6 day, forgot the Owner who Posted it...

Oh by the way take a HIGHLIGHTER with you to mark your daily capers with things you will want to do that day...there is soooo much as you can see! :D

Carnival Capers does change from cruise to cruise so this is a good example of what it will be like and quite possibly very similar, but a number of things does change from cruise to cruise, like the comedians, they do change by dates etc.

We forgot our highlighter and we ended up missing things! :(

..here from the 6 day, forgot the Owner who Posted it...

From Carnival's web page, here is a sample Carnival Capers. Note they are only showing just two pages! Use the arrows on the top of the toolbar to go to page two. You will see why I say take a highlighter!

http://www.carnival.com/cms/Images/Promo_Content/PDF/sample_capers07.pdf

Hope this helps!

There is already a thread all about the Freedom incase you may have missed it;)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=686534&highlight=everything+freedom

From Carnival's web page, here is a sample Carnival Capers. Note they are only showing just two pages! Use the arrows on the top of the toolbar to go to page two. You will see why I say take a highlighter!

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/Images/Promo_Content/PDF/sample_capers07.pdf

 

Hope this helps!

Thank you fredman....you are the bomb!!:D

We were on the Freedom last year and loved her

pictures below

Papanh

We were on the Freedom last year and loved her

pictures below

Papanh

Thank you so much papanh......and I love your avatar!!!;)

I so envy anyone going on the Freedom!! Just returning myself last week and it was the best cruise!! Beautiful ship and awesome service!! We had Igor as our Head waiter, awesome awesome!! Go to the disco and find Jose and tell him Tina said hello.. he is the greatest bar waiter!!

Just remember like a previous poster said, Go with the flow... don't try to do everything your first cruise, there is NO way, lol!! And be prepared you will be addicted after your cruise, lol